What causes stress?
Everyday life for most leaves us feeling angry, tired, fed up and fragile from time to time. This could be to do with anything, losing your job, money worries, moving home, relationship demands etc. How we react when things don't go according to plan is the determining factor how little or how much stress we suffer. When we get worked up about anything our body activates stress hormones, cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. It is the activity in our brains that determine how much is produced. You may believe you are just a worrier, you have a specific personality that leaves you prone to more stress than other people but this is just not the case.
The truth is the scale of our problems is usually created by us and whether or not we believe them to be insurmountable. It is not always about the situation you find yourself in but the way you feel about it. We all long for a stress free life but few of us take the steps to facilitate it. When we are stressed our body produces chemicals automatically that cause physical symptoms such as high blood pressure, increased heart rate and sweating. And sometimes we get so used to feeling in a state of stress we fail to notice how wound up we actually are. The most important thing to say here, why giving up stress is critical, you will lose weight and dramatically reduce your risk of cancer. Adrenaline and cortisol releases sugar and fat into the blood steam causing weight gain. Yes stress makes us fatter.
“Stop rushing around like a busy bee trying to be everything to everyone.”
Anger equals stress. Recognise equals cool down.
Physical and emotional stress is minimised by relaxing, breathing deeply, taking time to think for yourself. A simple and effective stress remedy is to include a meditation into your daily routine. Instead of gossiping to your friends/colleagues about what is driving you crazy, keeping it in your present, a daily meditation, even if it is only ten minutes, will help you address the problem, get it in perspective and let it go, developing invaluable life skills.
Example.
How can you stop the boss bullying you? How can you find time to fit it all into your life?
“Don't rise. Think laid back.”
Time is precious and having none to do what you really want to do is making you unhappy and stressed. It's your life. Everyone deserves time to themselves so the next time someone demands you Do it Now !! Tell them to get to the back of the queue because you are good at multi tasking. There is very little that cannot wait a moment and by waiting you may just find you get a miracle.
Photo by: Daniel Monteiro Unsplash